Great Debaters Study Guide

7/23/2019 Great Debaters Study Guide

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By Craig Detweiler, Ph.D.The Brehm CenterFuller Theological Seminary

INTRODUCTION

The Great Debaters is an inspiring story of courage, creativity, and resolve. It features stellar performancesfrom Academy Award-winning actors like Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker and rising talents likeJurnee Smollett. The Great Debaters celebrates the power of truthful words to overcome obstacles andset people free.

Debate begins with a resolution. It starts with a point to prove. It is a form of battle, fought with words.Denzel Washington directs The Great Debaters as a dance between opposing forces. On the affirmativeside, stand the twin pillars of justice and righteousness. The opposition is fueled by ignorance and oppres-sion. Who will win? The debate continues.

Denzel Washington portrays Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College in Texas. In 1935, he leads the

Wiley debate team towards an undefeated season and an opportunity to become the first black college tocompete against renowned Harvard University. The Great Debaters demonstrates the power of educationand the ability of truth to unlock opportunities. It also demonstrates the importance of mentors—teachersand parents who model maturity, confidence, and resolve. The next generation of students desperatelyneeds role models who will nurture and disciple them--people like professor Melvin Tolson.



RESOLVED:The education of our young people is themost important job in America.

“When I was a child I spoke as a child I understoodas a child I thought as a child; but when I became a

man I put away childish things.” I Corinthians 13:11

The Great Debaters begins with St. Paul!s poetic re-flection on maturity. To follow Jesus, we must aban-don childishness and put on the wisdom that accom-panies adulthood. How do we help young peoplenavigate that rite of passage? What forms of educa-tion can we invest in? What lessons do we still needto put into practice?

The movie opens with the insights of Dr. JamesFarmer (Forest Whitaker) one of the first black men

to earn a Ph.D. He declares, “The most important job in America is the education of our young people.”Farmer tells an audience at Wiley College that,“There will be difficulties. But we must defeat them.”He challenges his listeners, “They must do what

they have to do in order to do what they want to do.”The Great Debaters suggests, “Education is the onlyway out of ignorance and darkness into the gloriouslight.”

The Great Debaters celebrates teachers. Melvin

Tolson creates an invigorating classroom atmos-phere. He recites from the finest poets in the HarleRenaissance, people like Langston Hughes andGwendolyn Brooks. He dares students to tryout fothe debate team, to step into "the hot spot!. UndeTolson!s tutelage, education becomes a lifelongtest—more character formation than fact memorization.

The Great Debaters affirms those who invest in thenext generation. It suggests that education remaina key to unlock unprecedented opportunities and e

sential maturity. It makes us wonder, “Who is teacing you? Who are you teaching?”Romans 13:9-10

DISCUSSION:

What teachers or mentors made a lasting impressiupon your life?What "childish! ways do you need to "put away! in oder to follow God?How can you invest in the education of the next geeration?



RESOLVED:The greatest weakness of humanity is doubt. “Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and tookhold of him, and said to him, You of little faith, whydid you doubt? ̓”—Matthew 14:31

The Great Debaters is about young people growing

in confidence and capability. Melvin Tolson turnstentative students into fierce and seasoned debaters.His faith in their ability trumps their own self-doubt.

When we meet James Farmer, Jr., he appears over-whelmed by his surroundings. Joining the collegedebate team at age fourteen, James has a ways togo before his life experience catches up to his bookknowledge. Will he make his esteemed fatherproud?

Henry Lowe has plenty of passion and charm, butseems to flee from conflict. He turns to a local juke

joint whenever things fail to unfold as he hopes. Willhe learn to handle his disappointment with something

other than drinking?

Samantha Booke must overcome two challenges.As the only woman on the debate team, she is a mi-nority. But she overcomes her doubt, learning tostand toe-to-toe with her opponents. As a blackwoman, she must argue, fight, and advocate for aseat on the bus, at the table, and throughout society.Melvin Tolson chooses these three unlikely heroes toserve as the Wiley College Debate Society of 1935-36. They form an unlikely power trio.

Under the direction of Melvin Tolson, the Great Dbaters start seeing their potential one victory at atime. They learn to speak with clarity and confi-dence. They learn to assess their own limitationDefeat becomes an opportunity to overcome newobstacles. When fears creep in, the Great Deba

learn to fight fear with faith.

Discussion:

In what situation have you doubted your ability?In what areas does doubt still have a hold on youlife?How can faith come alongside to conquer your fe



Tolson and Farmer model the ability to "keep theircool! amidst opposition. When the white sheriff ar-rests and holds Tolson without proof or cause,Farmer leads a group to the local jail. Yet, ratherthan engage in loud arguments, Farmer speaks qui-etly and confidently, with justice on his side. Theminds of two sharp teachers overcome the intimida-tion of their enemies.

Discussion:

What battles take place in your mind?

When have you been tempted to lose your cool?How might you “find, take back and keep your right-eous mind”?

RESOLVED:The battle for the body begins with the mind.

Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able tokill the soul. (Matt. 10:28)

Perhaps the most important lesson imparted by Tol-son is the difference between our perceived enemiesand our legitimate challenges. Tolson trains theWiley Debate team to repeat a series of questions.

“Who is the judge? The judge is God because hedecides who wins or loses. Not my opponent.”

“Who is my opponent? He doesn!t exist. He!s just amere dissenting voice against the truth that I mustspeak.”

The Great Debaters demonstrates the importance oftraining your mind for battle. Young people needresolve in the face of opposition. They must learn tokeep cool under pressure, even when wrongly orfalsely accused.

Melvin Tolson anticipates the historical intimidationtechniques of Willie Lynch to sharpen his students.Lynch had a reputation as the most ferocious slaveowner in the West Indies, the origin of the term

"lynching!. Tolson teaches his students that Lynchdominated his slaves through a simple formula,

“Keep the body, take the mind.” The ability to kill aperson!s soul, to rob them of hope or dignity, super-cedes any torture or intimidation. Tolson charges hisstudents to, “Find, take back and keep your righteousmind.”



RESOLVED:The time for justice, freedom and equality isalways right now.

"But let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”—Amos 5:24

The Great Debaters is set in Texas during the 1930s.Racial injustice was an everyday fact of life. Yet,

Melvin Tolson and his team oppose unjust laws withall manner of creativity. When he!s not teachingstudents to debate, Tolson is rallying local farmersacross racial lines.

The Great Debaters is an extended argument forfreedom, equality, justice. It draws upon the pro-phetic tradition of the Old Testament, upon role mod-els like Amos and Jeremiah and Isaiah. Jesus con-

tinued that prophetic tradition with his radical defenseof the poor, the widow, and the orphan. The Chris-tian fight for justice continues on behalf of anyonewho is oppressed.

The Wiley Debate team must put everything they!vebeen taught into practice. They must overcomeodds and win the judges confidence, even in a hos-tile environment. People question whether a blackcollege team should be competing against an es-teemed white university. When asked, “Are yousupposed to be here?,” The Great Debaters retort, “I

guess we!ll find out won!t we?”

The young debaters confront one of the most horrificinjustices—the evil specter of lynching. They mustprove that civil disobedience is a moral weapon inthe fight for justice. The Great Debaters suggest,“We must never kneel before the tyranny of a major-ity.” They draw upon the rich tradition of St.Augustine to declare, “An unjust law is no law at all.”

Discussion:

What lessons about justice from history or the Bibledo we need to remember?What types of injustice have you seen in our world?How might you follow the example of Jesus and thebiblical prophets in defending the oppressed and ex-ploited today?

CONCLUSION

The lessons taught and modeled by Melvin Tolsontransformed his young debaters. James Farmer, Jrwent on to found the Congress for Racial Equality.Samantha Booke joined the Freedom Riders in the

1960s. Melvin Tolson organized the Southern TenanFarmers! Union. And yet, Henry Lowe reportedly weon to the University of Southern California and becama minister but was never heard from again.

Not every student will remember what they!ve beentaught. Jesus dealt with the rejection and betrayal oclosest disciple. But those students who learn theirteachers! lessons, who put their faith into practice, catransform society.

The Great Debaters is a historical story that proves a

too relevant even today. Lynching may be a thing ofpast, yet nooses have recently made a tragic reappeance as a symbol of intimidation. The controversy srounding the Jena Six stems from nooses hung in a outside, Jena (Louisiana) High School. But the incdents have not been limited to the South. Issues ofrace, power and intimidation are unfortunately, still qtimely.

So how should we respond to lessons of The Great baters? Will we resolve to offer the next generationquality education? Will we build faith rather than do

into our young people? The battle for our souls is ofmore mental than physical. How we think will affecthow we live. Finally, the most important challenge fpeople of faith and conscience is to continue the prophetic ministry of Jesus. We must continue to servethe poor, the hungry and the hurting. But that alsomeans reforming the structures and the systems thaoppress people in America and abroad. We!ve madgreat strides since the 1930s. But the struggle is farfrom over. The time for freedom, justice and equalalways right now.

Craig Detweiler, Ph.D., founded an Urban Young Life prog

in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. He directsReel Spirituality Institute for Fuller Seminary ̓s Brehm CenHYPERLINK " http://www.brehmcenter.org "

www.brehmcenter.org ). His feature documentary, PurpleState of Mind, will be touring American in 2008. Check ou

the trailer at: www.purplestateofmind.com .



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